Celtic metal is a subgenre of folk metal that developed in the 1990s in Ireland. The genre is a fusion of heavy metal and Celtic rock. The early pioneers of the genre were the Irish bands Cruachan, Primordial and Waylander. The genre has since expanded beyond Irish shores and is known to be performed today by bands from numerous other countries.
Medieval metal is a subgenre of folk metal that blends heavy metal music with medieval folk music. Medieval metal is mostly restricted to Germany where it is known as Mittelalter-Metal or Mittelalter-Rock. The genre emerged from the middle of the 1990s with contributions from Subway to Sally, In Extremo and Schandmaul. The style is characterised by the prominent use of a wide variety of traditional folk and medieval instruments.
Folk metal is a fusion genre of heavy metal music and traditional folk music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. It is characterised by the widespread use of folk instruments and, to a lesser extent, traditional singing styles. It also sometimes features soft instrumentation influenced by folk rock.
Skyclad are a British heavy metal band with heavy folk influences in their music. They are considered one of the pioneers of folk metal. The etymology behind the term "skyclad" comes from a pagan/wiccan term for ritual nudity, in which rituals are performed with the participants metaphorically clad only by the sky, as a sign of equality. The name alludes both to the band's religious leanings and to their social beliefs, as set out in the song "Skyclad" on their first album.
Elvenking is a heavy metal band from Sacile, Italy. As of 2019, they have released one demo and ten full-length studio albums. Elvenking's music draws inspiration from different genres such as metal, folk, hard rock, pop, prog, and classical music.
Martin Walkyier is an English singer, known for his participation in the heavy metal bands Sabbat and Skyclad. The late Metal Hammer journalist Detlef Dengler called Walkyier a "great lyricist" known for his multitude of words and "brilliant puns". Author Paul Stenning has referred to Walkyier as a "lyrical genius".
Steve Ramsey is a British guitarist who began his career with the heavy metal band Satan in the early 1980s, releasing a single and an album, a second album under the band name Blind Fury, an EP and another album after changing the band name back to Satan and two more albums after renaming the band name once again, to Pariah.
Folkémon is a studio album by the British folk metal band Skyclad. It is the last album the band recorded with Martin Walkyier as vocalist. As is normal with the band's works under Walkyier, the album's lyrical themes deal with politics, environmentalism, spirituality and personal issues.
No Daylights... Nor Heeltaps is the eleventh studio album by British folk metal band Skyclad and the band's first recording to feature Kevin Ridley as the main vocalist. It is described as an "Irish Pub Album" with semi-acoustic versions of older Skyclad classics. Some versions feature a bonus CD with five extra songs.
Irrational Anthems is an album by British Folk metal band, Skyclad, released in 1996; their sixth album in as many years. It was their first album without founding member Keith Baxter on drums and longtime guitar player Dave Pugh. The group remained a quartet, with Steve Ramsey overdubbing all guitars, and with the hiring of Paul Smith as session drummer.
Jonah's Ark is the third studio album by British folk metal band Skyclad.
Prince of the Poverty Line is the fourth full-length studio album by British folk metal band Skyclad. It is a loose concept album about urban decay in post-Thatcherite Britain.
The Silent Whales of Lunar Sea is the fifth full-length studio album by British folk metal band Skyclad. Its title is a homophonic pun: when said aloud in a non-rhotic accent it sounds identical to "The Silent Wails of Lunacy".
A Burnt Offering for the Bone Idol is the second album by British folk metal band Skyclad, released in 1992.
Sabbat were an English thrash metal band from Nottingham consisting of Martin Walkyier (vocals), Andy Sneap (guitars), Simon Jones (guitars), Frazer Craske (bass) and Simon Negus (drums). They are considered one of the "big four" of British thrash metal along with Acid Reign, Onslaught, and Xentrix, who were all responsible for developing and popularizing the country's thrash metal scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Over their initial six-year run Sabbat released three studio albums, four demos, two split singles/compilation albums, two singles and a live VHS. In 1988 the band released their debut album History of a Time to Come which earned them further recognition. Their next album, Dreamweaver (1989), was also critically acclaimed. Shortly after the release of Mourning Has Broken (1991), tensions with the band began to surface, most of them revolved around money and Sabbat disbanded as a result. After an attempted reunion in 2001 which was blocked by Sneap, the original Sabbat lineup reunited in 2006. In December of that year they performed together for the first time in sixteen years at five different venues in England. One was a warm-up gig in Nottingham, the other four in support of Cradle of Filth. The band has continued to perform live around the world but has not released any new material. In a January 2014 interview with Decibel magazine Andy Sneap confirmed that Sabbat had once again split-up.
History of a Time to Come is the debut full-length album by the British thrash metal band Sabbat.
Keith Baxter was an English rock drummer.
Davide "Damna" Moras is an Italian singer who is the lead vocalist of the Italian folk/power metal band Elvenking and rock n' roll band Hell in the Club.
Forgodsake were an English rock band from Newcastle Upon Tyne formed in 1990.
Skiltron is a folk metal band formed in Buenos Aires in 2004 by Emilio Souto. Since 2018, the band has moved to Europe. Skiltron are considered one of the few Southern American metal bands to fuse heavy metal and Celtic music, a style usually more common in many parts of Europe. They are also well known for incorporating bagpipes into their music. The name "Skiltron" derives from a variation of the word schiltron, a formation used by the Scottish during the Wars of Independence.
